In Chiapas

GPA’s New Program: Adolescent Health Education Workshops:

In January 2011, GPA began offering adolescent health education workshops for young girls and boys through a partnership with local service organization Yashalum, which provides housing for approximately 45 adolescents from rural communities who have received scholarships to attend school in the town of Yajalón. The main purpose of these workshops is to provide teenagers with relevant information on family planning, contraceptive methods, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This sector of the population has had severely limited information about these topics, partially contributing to high birth rates and poor birth outcomes in the region.

In the first quarter alone, three workshops have been completed. In these initial sessions, girls learned about the menstrual cycle and the transition from childhood to adolescence. The girls had the opportunity to ask questions and express their thoughts about these themes in a supportive environment. The next few workshops will also include boys, and be focused on the reproductive health system and other similar topics. GPA’s strong collaborative relationships with midwives and local health institutions gives us a unique ability to implement this health education program utilizing culturally relevant strategies.

Continuing trainings for midwives: Over the past year, GPA has finished two comprehensive training programs for traditional midwives in Yajalón, Mexico, reaching approximately 25 midwives. The courses covered normal pregnancy and childbirth as well as identification and treatment of problems during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. The third training series is currently underway in Petalcingo, a rural community outside Yajalón. Read about the history of the midwives group in our archives (Winter 2008, Spring 2009).